California ends plastic checkout bags and raises paper standards

California will prohibit grocery, pharmacies, liquor, and convenience retailers from distributing plastic checkout bags, including thick and reusable film bags, starting January 1, 2026.

The restrictions on plastic bags have been tightened under Senate Bill 1053. However, the law exempts certain bags provided before checkout, allowing packaging meant to protect items from damage or contamination or to contain unwrapped food.

The state is also set to prohibit stores from selling or distributing recycled paper bags at the point of sale unless the store makes that bag available for purchase for not less than US$0.10.

“The bill would revise the definition of ‘recycled paper bag’ to require it be made from a minimum of 50% postconsumer recycled materials on and after January 1, 2028, without exception,” says the legislation.

Cutting plastic consumption

The ban intends to encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable bags, with stores encouraging and supporting this practice, which aims to reduce the “costly and wasteful practice of relying on store-provided carryout bags.”

Its goal is to eventually phase out plastic film bags at grocery stores and boost the recycling of paper alternatives.

Recently, the California Department of Justice, US, settled a three-year investigation into Revolution Sustainable Solutions, Metro Poly, PreZero US Packaging, and Advance Polybag for false recyclability claims and the sale of non-recyclable plastic bags in the state of California.

The companies agreed to stop selling plastic bags in California and pay civil penalties and legal fees.

In a broader initiative to reduce plastic pollution, earlier this year, California banned plastic foam foodware from being sold unless strict recycling targets are met.

Meanwhile, a recent study concluded that Washington State, US, should drop its ban on single-use plastic bags due to increasing plastic material consumption. Packaging Insights spoke to the Department of Ecology about the study results and the department’s response, highlighting the complex effects single-use plastic bans can have on material consumption.